With no oil refinery in Halifax (there used to be two) we generally see tankers that carry refined product such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and sometimes heavy oil. Crude oil tankers are rare but they do call here from time to time for inspections or repairs.
There is another whole world of tankers out there that we rarely see. These specialize in industrial chemicals and in some cases edible oils. They are generally much smaller than the product tankers, and even than Canadian coastal tankers.Today, May 12, saw the arrival of one such chemical tanker, apparently for repairs.
Basat was built in 2008 by Tersan Tersanecilik in Tuzla, Turkey and is rated at 7,260 gt, 10,745 dwt. It is classed as an IMO Type II tanker, which means it meets safety standards for moderately hazardous cargoes. It has fourteen cargo tanks and thus can carry a number of different cargoes at the same time. Frequent tank cleaning between cargoes is necessary to ensure that there is no contamination or chemical reaction. The ship carries two slop tanks (on deck) to store tank washings until they can be landed for reprocessing. Pumping gear is also designed to prevent cross-contamination.
The ship appears to be in ballast and was en route from Rotterdam when it was diverted to Halifax with an unknown problem, needing repair. It was steaming very slowly when it arrived off port and took the tug Atlantic Ash as stern tethered escort fom the pilot station area, and was joined by the Atlantic Maple for berthing, even though it has a bow thruster.
It tied up at Pier 25, which has convenient access for shore support such as trucks.
The use of two tugs for berthing may have been as a precaution to stay clear of the cruise ship Viking Neptune's bow, which was protruding beyond the end of Pier 22 (left background in photo.)
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